Money Problems and Stewardship

There is a lot of talk in the news right now about the nation’s debt ceiling, but there are countless sources and many conflicting reports. In between trying to make enough money to pay the bills and take care of families, it’s hard for many to find time to read all the reports and information to make our own informed conclusions about the situation. For many people there is just no desire to even listen or read about it, all they know is that the economy is bad and we’re out of money.As an average, not-so-well-informed American on the subject, I will not even begin to attempt to explain the situation to avoid over simplification of a super complex subject. One of my least favorite subject is politics. Like many Americans, this feeling comes from so much  disappointment in the system and those involved.  Don’t worry; I’ve come to terms with it and realize that Christ alone can bring true fulfillment and satisfy our needs. That being said, it would be irresponsible to go through life and ignore the many issues that have to be addressed.

I am no economist, but we can all clearly see that our country is in a big heap of trouble right now. This heap is so big, it’s actually almost impossible for me to truly comprehend it. I came across this set of graphics that gives a visual explanation of the debt problem (http://usdebt.kleptocracy.us/). Still, it is difficult to fathom, but one thing is absolutely clear – our money is out of control. If you don’t regularly pray for those that run our government, I highly recommend adding them to your prayers now.

All this teaches us some very important lessons in stewardship. Although, this is not a popular term when it comes to money because it implies that the money doesn’t really belong to us. I can see how that can be a scary thought, but it is how we are called to look at it. Nothing in the world can really belong to us because it all comes from God, the Creator of everything. We are given things only because of His goodness, and we are entrusted with taking care of them during our temporary possession of them.

The fact is, we can do nothing without God. We would not have money if it weren’t for the life that He gives us with the talents and ability to do the work that pays us. When we approach it from this perspective, it encourages us not to be wasteful or stupid with it. In a similar way, our government should look at the money they are given (or take) from our taxes as the responsibility of stewarding our money. Given the state of our finances, I think it’s safe to say that hasn’t been the case for a while.

Whatever happens with the debt ceiling deal this week will not solve any problems. Our budget needs to be balanced and our spending must get under control. This process is going to be rough, and some groups will suffer more than others when cuts are made. Throughout it, we must continue fighting to defend what we believe to be true and hold those in public office accountable. Most importantly, we must pray for them and our country even more.

Now that we see some of the damage that out of control debt can cause, I hope that this is a wake up call to all of us. We must personally be good stewards of the treasures God has given us, and work on our own personal debt. I understand very well that we have a lot of it out of need for homes, education, and vehicles, but extra, unnecessary debt only hurts our ability to pay off the essentials. Moderation, discipline and discernment with our money go a long way.

May the Lord continue to bless our great nation, and may our leaders listen to His Divine guidance.